Not Alone Anymore
by Lzsmith8
Summary: Theresa has lost Jay. Now, a new friend is stepping up to help her see all is not lost. Not entirely unexpected fic about Archie and Theresa. Enjoy
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I think this is going to be a two-shot. I'm not sure though. This would be taking place later in the series, when Theresa has lots more control over her powers. I came up with it when I was stuck on Time Stops. I promise I will finish that one, I just needed to get away from it for a while.

Disclaimer: I own sheep desktop pets, and the most awesome spaghetti recipe in the world, but Cott? Nope!

Not Alone in My Head.

Six members of the team were sitting in the T.V. Room, watching an old movie about giant monsters and the heroes that defeated them (Neil had won the coin toss). Herry was seated on the couch, sharing a massive bowl of popcorn with Odie. Atlanta and Neil were sharing the smaller couch, sitting close together. Jay sat in an armchair on one side of the room while Theresa was seated on the floor, leaning against Herry and Odie's couch, determinedly not looking in Jay's direction.

Neil and Atlanta shared sad glances. Three months before the Leader and the Fighter had been together, and it had seemed as though they were very much in love. But, not one week ago, the two had had a bad argument, and from the things they had shouted at each other, it seemed as though their relationship was over.

But they were still part of the team, and had to see each other once and a while. And Theresa was determined not to cut herself off from her friends just because of a boy. Thus, when Odie had suggested a movie night, Theresa had accepted without hesitation.

But the movie the Charm of the team had chosen was a typical guy movie, filled with lots of explosions and car chase scenes. Not exactly a movie she was particularly interested in.

Glancing around the room in boredom, Theresa's eyes found photograph of the team sitting on the end table beside her couch. Leaning over, she picked it up, before settling back against the couch.

The entire team was in the photo, all of them pictured in the photo. They were in the park, and it was easy to tell that most of them had been enjoying the day.

Neil was sitting on top of a picnic table, his perfect smile aimed at the camera, and one of his arms wrapped playfully around Atlanta's neck, who was laughing up at him. Odie was seated on top of the monkey bars, his legs dangling down with his bare feet swinging back and forth. Herry was on the monkey bars as well, looking uncomfortable, but still with a large grin on his face. Theresa's smile slipped a little as she found herself and Jay in the photo. She was sitting on the swings, high in the air, her hair flying everywhere while Jay stood behind her, laughing.

She would never admit it out loud, but the Fighter had truly thought what she and Jay had once had was true love. They worked so well together, got along with each other better than anyone else on the team, and there was no denying the physical attraction between the two of them. Theresa clenched her sea-green eyes shut for a moment, pushing away her pain. _It's in the past now Theresa. Stop hurting yourself. _Opening her eyes, she found herself again looking down at a happier time in her past. She bit her tongue to try and stop herself from tearing up.

Sighing, she started to put the picture back on the table when a flash of purple temporarily blinded her. Clenching her eyes shut in pain, she frowned. _Of course. How could I forget Archie?_ Opening her eyes, she looked down at the photo once again, a thoughtful expression on her face as she studied the Warrior. He was standing a little ways away from the rest of the team, his eyes closed and a little smirk on his face as he leaned against a tree.

"Oh yea! Awesome explosion! Did you guys see the way that house just blew apart?" Odie's outburst made Theresa jump, but the rest of the team was laughing along with Odie at the movie, where the hero was once again exploding various buildings to complete his mission, so no one seemed to notice.

Theresa rolled her eyes as even Atlanta cheered excitedly at the movie. She refocused back on Archie's photo self, studying his face. From his purple hair, to his crooked nose, to his gleaming ankle brace, Archie was definitely one of the most unique members of the team. Theresa glanced around the room, remembering that Archie had shut himself in his room before the movie had started. Ever since Atlanta and Neil had started dating, Archie often distanced himself from the rest of the team. _I'm not the only one who's hurting..._

Suddenly remembering a skill Persephone had taught her a few days before during training, Theresa narrowed her eyes staring intently at the purple-hair Warrior. Her eyes started to glow a faint blue as she concentrated.

There was a sudden _**THUD **_from upstairs, and a muffled cursing. "Theresa! DAMN-IT!!" There were several more thuds, bangs, and crashes, as the team stared up the stairs in confusion. Theresa quickly got to her feet, willing her face to stop it's guilty flushing.

Footsteps thundered down the stair, and Archie was suddenly in the T.V. Room's doorway, gripping the side of the door tightly, a furious expression on his face. Theresa felt even worse as her eyes gave the angry Warrior a once over.

He looked completely rumpled, as though he'd been tossing and turning on his bed. His purple hair was sticking up in every direction, and even his dark brown eyes looked bloodshot. Archie's furious eyes locked with Theresa's wide ones, and he started in a strangely low voice, "I'm really not in the mood for this shit tonight Theresa." He spat her name like it was something that disgusted him, and she shrank away from him a little, stung. "I don't care what's going on with you, or how lonely or whatever you are. Stay. Out. Of. My. Head."

Without another word, the Warrior turned around and stormed back up the stairs, grumbling angrily to himself. Theresa put a hand to her throat as she tried to stop herself from calling after him. _He wouldn't understand! No one does, why would he? _Tears filled her eyes as she tried to glare after the Warrior.

"Theresa? What just happened?" Atlanta's gentle voice made her jump, and she turned to look at her concerned friend's face.

Shivering as she remembered Archie's angry tone, she whispered, "N-nothing. I'm going to bed." With that she hurried upstairs, trying to stop her tears from flowing before she reached her bedroom.

She didn't notice that Archie's door was slightly opened, or that he was watching her as she rushed by. Once her door slammed shut, the boy slowly closed his own door.

_To be concluded..._

A.N.: There's part one. Part two will be up in a week or so, I think. If you liked it, if you hated it, if you're hungry and feel like saying so, let me know in the shape of a review.

Seriously, Review!!


	2. Chapter 2

A.N.: 'sup people! I've returned, with part two of Not Alone Anymore. I know I said this would be a two-shot, but I changed my mind. I do have something of an explanation at the end of this chapter. I'll be honest, I don't think this fic is my best work, but, eh, maybe I'm just a sucker for punishment. Thus, lay it on me!

Thank you guys for the reviews for the first chapter. They convinced me that someone out there is reading my fics, and not just looking at the page number or something. And I promise, a new chapter for Time Stops is coming, it's just taking a while.

Disclaimer: I own a Canada Flag trick kite (two strings!) and a ratty pair of sneakers. But Cott? Nope!

Not Alone In My Head.

Archie scowled angrily at his bedroom wall. He had overreacted. That much was obvious. He knew he was usually impatient with Theresa, but this past week had been an especially hard one for her. Why couldn't he try to be nicer to her? She had never done anything horrible to him. Growling in frustration, the purple-hair teen pulled himself out of his bed. Maybe some air would help clear his head.

He stretched his spine slowly, letting his bones click into place. Grabbing his sweater and pulling it over his head, Archie started for the rooftop stairs, thinking of what had happened not an hour ago.

Flashback

He had been half asleep on his bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to ignore his friends' laughter; they were all downstairs, watching some movie. Archie had begged out, not wanting to watch Atlanta and Neil make goo-goo eyes at each other. It was annoying that those two were dating, and it hurt sometimes, but he was learning to get used to it.

Besides, as long as Atlanta was happy with Neil, Archie wasn't going to try to change things just because of remnants of old feelings that still existed in the back of his heart. She had never wanted him, and Archie was moving on. He was a little glad that he had actually never dated Atlanta. Theresa and Jay had started out pretty happy, and look at them now. Separate, miserable, and bitter too. At least Jay was. Theresa had cut herself off from everyone else, and Archie was starting to worry about her (though he would never admit out loud).

Archie had been all alone on his bed, staring at the ceiling, absently thinking about giving in and joining the team for their movie, when suddenly, something changed. It was as if there was someone else in the room, or, more specifically in his head... The Warrior had sat up, frowning, and looked around the room in confusion, trying to ease his disquiet. He took a deep breath through his nose, trying to clear his head, when it clicked.

He could faintly smell something, something familiar and not entirely unwelcome. A faint aroma of baking and perfume combined together to swirl deliciously around his head. It took a grand total of two seconds to recognize the smell. _Theresa._ _In his head. Invading his private thoughts. _The snarl of anger, and the ensuing leap from his bed was nearly involuntary. Instinct had kicked in, and all he wanted to do was lash out. "Theresa! DAMN-IT!" his voice was loud and angry, and he hardly recognized it for his own.

_Invasion! Attack! _The only two thoughts charging around in his head spurred him out of his bedroom, down the hall and rocketing down the steps before his reasoning could kick in. By the time he'd reach the bottom of the steps, however, Reason came up, smacked him upside the head, and warned him that screaming at Theresa would get him no where and he needed to calm himself down.

Even with Reason knocking on his head, slowing him down, Archie was still going so quickly he nearly overshot the T.V. Room, and had to grab the door jamb to stop himself from sliding right past it. Scowling angrily at the world in general, he glared at his teammates, all of who were staring at him, looking at him like he had finally snapped and was going to murder them all without so much as a 'by your leave'.

Theresa was the only one standing, and she looked decidedly guilty, with her wide eyes, clenched fists, and generally 'I got caught' expression. The fact that Atlanta and Neil were sitting behind her, holding hands and staring up at Archie with twin wide eyed looks of alarm did nothing to improve his mood. He locked his eyes on Theresa, knowing if he focused on the Charm and the Huntress he would end up punching someone.

"I'm really not in the mood for this shit tonight Theresa." He stressed her name, growling at the Fighter angrily, his mood sinking lower as she shied away from him in fear. "I don't really care what's going on with you," A lie, but she didn't need to know that, "or how lonely or whatever you are," more lies. He did care, but that wasn't this issue at the moment, "Stay. Out Of. My. Head."

If he continued any longer, Archie knew he was going to blurt out something he would regret. So, without another word to the Fighter, or to anyone else, he whirled around and stomped back up the stairs, grumbling angrily to himself. _Stupid! She was looking for help, or sympathy, or something, not someone who'll tear her head off. _He reached his bedroom and slammed his door for good measure, though it didn't make him feel any better. _You're such an ass Archie! _

Slumping against his door, the Warrior glared at the wall, mentally kicking himself over and over. Then he registered the rapid thumping of feet rushing up the stairs. His eyebrows furrowing, Archie quickly pulled away from his door and opened it a crack, peering out into the hall. His eyes widened as he watched Theresa rush by his door, her long hair flying, her eyes clenched shut as she tried to hide her tears.

Guilt cheerfully punched Archie in the stomach, and as Theresa **slammed **her bedroom door shut, he felt most of his guts plummet to his feet, making him feel that much worse. _So not what I had in mind for tonight..._ He quietly closed his door, and walked over to his bed. Sinking onto his comfortable sheets, Archie scowled at the wall. Wow, but did he overreact.

End Flashback

As Archie pulled open the rooftop door, he scowled to himself again. _She barely did anything and I snap at her like an animal! _His conscience was happily torturing him for what he had done to Theresa, and he knew he deserved it. _She's hurting enough because of Jay, and you treat her worse than he ever did! _He remembered when the two had been dating. Theresa had been in bliss, and even Archie couldn't put her in a bad mood while she and Jay were together.

But the relationship had ended, and though both Jay and Theresa were acting like nothing had ever happened between them, Archie could tell Theresa was hurting. _And what do you do? You shove it in her face. Real nice Arch. _Sighing in disappointment with himself, Archie walked slowly over to the patio chairs that the team left on the roof for themselves. _She's your friend Archie. Why don't you learn to treat her like one?_

Collapsing in one of the chairs with a groan the Warrior rubbed at his face with his hands, trying to empty his head. But his conscience took one last stab at him. _You need to apologize_ _to_ _Theresa_. Archie blinked at this thought. _She's looking for a friend right now, and you know you're the only one who can really relate to her now! _Scoffing at the thought of ever relating to Theresa, Archie rubbed his hands over his face, trying to push away his thoughts.

"Oh!" Archie's head snapped up, and standing above him, wide eyed and red faced, was Theresa. Archie half sat up, staring at the Fighter with a head-hurting mixute of alarm and concern. Her green eyes were bloodshot red from crying. She stammered out to him, "I-I didn't kn-know there was anyone else up here. I-I'll leave."

"No, no, you don't have to do that." Archie gestured to the chair beside him, and Theresa stubbornly shook her head, avoiding his eyes. She started to turn away, still refusing to look at him, her face a mask of pain. Archie's conscience took another swing at him. _She's right there man! Don't you let her walk away! _Shaking his head, Archie quickly got to his feet, "Theresa, wait."

To Be Continued!

A.N.: I've changed my mind. This was getting way to long to be just two chapters, so I chopped this one in half. Now it's a three-shot! I know, I know, I'm sorry. Please don't kill me. If you liked it, hated it, or if it make you hungry or angry or even sleepy, please let me know in the shape of a review! I'm off to finish off the third (and final!) chapter of this, then I'll finish Chapter 6 of Time Stops.

Please Review!


	3. Chapter 3

A.N: Yo! Once again, I've returned with the conclusion of Not Alone Anymore. It gets a little weird in here, but I don't really care. If you do, why not say so? Review and tell me how much I suck. I won't mind, I promise.

Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing. A cheap coffee mug maybe, but Cott? Nope!

Not Alone In My Head.

"_No, no, you don't have to do that." Archie gestured to the chair beside him, and Theresa stubbornly shook her head, avoiding his eyes. She started to turn away, still refusing to look at him, her face a mask of pain. Archie's conscience took another swing at him. _She's right there man! Don't you let her walk away!_ Shaking his head, Archie quickly got to his feet, "Theresa, wait." _

Theresa paused, her back to him, not looking at him as he moved closer. Archie sighed as he moved in front of her, eyes searching her countenance. Her face was downcast, her hair in front of her face, hiding her from the world. From him. Archie carefully lifted his hand and touched her arm, gently closing his hand over her bent elbow, holding her in place. "I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I was in a bad mood, and I lashed out at you unfairly."

His apology made Theresa lift her eyes. For a brief moment, wide green eyes met half-closed brown ones, and Archie's breath was caught in his chest. _I can see her spirit in her eyes. _Then, the Fighter lowered her eyes again, giving a small shoulder shrug, "You did lash out at me. But I know why you did." Again, her eyes shot up to search his face, before they darted away.

A small smirk playing on his face, Archie gently squeezed Theresa's arm. "You were trying to get into my head. That's a dangerous place you know." his smirk grew as he watched the girl's face flush. "When did you learn to do that? I thought you told Jay you couldn't."

"Before a few weeks ago, that was true." she met his eyes again, and a hint of her old spirit glittered in her eyes for a moment, "Persephone taught me the basics, and I've been learning since then."

Archie gave Theresa a real smile, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't pleased when she returned it with one of her own. Then he grinned, and his free hand shot out and poked her in the ribs, making her yelp. "Why'd you try to get into my head anyways? Did you think I would let you get away with it or something?"

Theresa sighed, and suddenly pulled away from the Warrior, crossing her arms over her chest, again refusing to look at him, "I don't think I should tell you. You'll laugh."

A frowned creased Archie's eyebrows, and he moved forward again, gently touching the girl's shoulder. "Hey, come on Theresa. I promise, I won't laugh at you."

She shot him a glance, a little smile playing on her lips, "Since when do you make me promises, Archie?"

Rolling his eyes, Archie moved so he was standing beside her, their shoulders touching as they both stared out over the city. "Maybe I'm trying to make things up for you." he nudged her, smiling down or her, "Or maybe it's just because I care."

The pleased smile he noticed on Theresa's face hinted to Archie that he'd said the right thing, and he gave a mental sigh of relief. Then she started to speak, her voice soft, "Right before Jay and I started having problems with our relationship; that was when I learned how to enter minds." Archie's eyes widened in surprise, but he said nothing as she continued, "At first, I was excited by it. It's easy to control, and most of the time, impossible to detect."

Archie smirk, and said, "Most of the time, eh?" he grinned at Theresa's scowl, but stopped himself from interrupting again.

"Well I knew it was sometimes detectable, but it takes a certain mindset for that to happen!" She snapped at him, before turning away with a huff, again crossing her arms.

Rolling his eyes, Archie responded, "O.K., take it easy Miss Drama Queen." then he frowned, "And exactly what kind of mindset is required to be able to detect mind reading?"

"Mind _Looking."_ Theresa corrected him, turning around as she put her hands on her hips. At his confused expression, she explained, "I look into your mind, I don't read it. It's not like reading a book or something. I can't just close my eyes and read your thoughts."

Archie grinned at Theresa, "That's a relief." Chuckling at her angered expression, he walked over to the roof's edge, and leaned against the railing. Theresa followed him, still frowning at him. "So I have the right kind of mind to detect mind looking?" he asked.

Theresa nodded slowly. "Persephone told me that there would be a few people who would know when someone was looking. She said they'd usually be someone with a painful history, or someone who's naturally suspicious."

Archie gave a low, mirthless chuckle, "That sounds like me alright." Scratching his nose, the youth asked, "So what did this new ability have to do with you and Jay?"

A bitter smile appeared on Theresa's face. "My visions, my...powers, take a lot out of me sometimes." Archie nodded slowly, watching the Fighter as she crossed her arms over her chest, gripping her elbows tightly. _It makes sense that her abilities would take a lot out of her. _She continued, her voice still low, "Mind looking probably isn't the right term for what I can do. When I get in someone's head, I have to make a connection with them, one that's deeper than most people can normally make. That connection can't just be made in a few seconds. It takes feelings from both the people."

A light clicked on in Archie's head, and realization dawned in his eyes. He asked in a low voice, carefully watching the girl beside him, "You couldn't make that connection with Jay, could you?"

Theresa sighed, her grip on her elbows tightening. "No. No I couldn't," she whispered mournfully. "I tried to, I really did, but no matter how hard I tried, Jay's walls stayed in place, and I couldn't." She closed her eyes, a deeply troubled, and very sad, expression on her face.

"Hey." Archie's voice was low, but firm. Theresa's eyes opened, and they slowly lifted, meeting his. Keeping eye contact, Archie lifted his hand, gently brushing away a tear that was rolling down her face. He let his hand linger on her soft cheek, and he silently marveled at the warmth he could feel underneath his fingers. The girl's breathing hitched, and Archie's heart started to thump faster. _What is she doing to me? _She was chewing her bottom lip, staring into his eyes. _Better question, Am I going to __stop her?_ Swallowing the lump in his throat, Archie whispered, "Just because Jay didn't open up to you, doesn't mean anything. You're a pretty awesome girl Theresa. Don't let a fool like Jay make you think otherwise."

She was still staring up at him with her big green eyes. Archie's heart was racing now, thumping so wildly he was sure Theresa could hear it. She nodded slowly, and her cheeks tinted a light red. _I swear, she looks so..._ "Thank you."

Archie blinked. "What?"

Theresa gave him a gentle smile. "Thank you Archie. Somehow, you understand me, and you're exactly what I need right now." Archie's thoughts whirled crazily, and he stared down at Theresa, awed. _I'm what she... needs? _

He opened his mouth without thinking, "Theresa, I'm going to do something rather stupid in a second if you keep staring at me like that."

She blinked up at him, her eyes still very wide. Her full, red lips parted as she whispered, "What are you going to do, Archie?"

She had uncrossed her arms, and was leaning towards him slightly, one hand lightly resting on his chest. Archie's heart was pounding rapidly, his hands were sweating, his thoughts still flying crazily around his head. _I've never wanted __**anything **__so much as I want to --_

His thought was suddenly interrupted by a loud screeching of an unknown bird. It was random and unexpected, and enough of an interruption to break the moment. They both jumped away from each other, Archie's face burning a deep red, Theresa's eyes widening as her face paled. Archie cursed mentally, but he was grateful at the same time. _Oh wow. I nearly... and __**she **__nearly... _Shaking his head, trying to clear it of his crazy thoughts, Archie tried to ask, his voice only slightly shaky, "So, what, uh..." He trailed off, clearing his throat, his thoughts still swimming about his head.

Theresa shook her head, shaking her hair in front of her eyes. Still behind her curtain of hair, she quietly whispered, "I-I should head b-back inside. I-I'm not feeling very well." With that, she turned away, and started walking quickly for the door.

For a very brief moment, the Warrior considered letting her walk away._ Theresa can take care of herself, can't she? _Then, a light clicked on over his head. _"A connection!" Of course! _Archie called out to Theresa, starting after her, "Theresa, don't you try walking away from me."

Theresa's head came up as she froze in her tracks. Archie caught her arm and turned her around, before he put both his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. Staring into the girl's eyes, Archie asked, his voice a little breathless, "Theresa, that connection thing you mentioned. Just how deep do the emotions between the two people have to be for the connection to exist?" _I'm going to lose it in a second if she says... _

Theresa gave Archie a smile, one that somehow spoke of changes to come, of a future to be made, of new things to be created, and of, very possibly, new hope for the both of them. She whispered up at him, that same little smile still on her face, "What do _you _think Archie?" For a brief moment, her eyes glittered a light blue, and Archie _heard _her whisper again, _'How deep do you want them to go?'_ This time, he heard her voice, but her lips didn't move. She was leaning closer to him again.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he open them again, she was so close he could count the freckles on her cheeks. Staring into her eyes, Archie thought, '_I can get lost in your eyes, do you know that?'_

Immediately, Theresa's eyes widened, and she stared at Archie, her face a mixture of shock, happiness, awe and joy. She stammered weakly, her smile slowly growing bigger, "D-did you j-just do wha-what I think you did?"

Archie couldn't help but smirk as he teased, "I might have."

Jay's eyes nearly fell out of his head at he watched Theresa lean forward and brush her lips against Archie's. The Warrior looked startled by the action, and for a brief moment, Jay saw pain flash across Theresa's face. Then, without warning, Archie's arms wrapped themselves around the Fighter's slim waist, and he lifted her in the air, spinning them both, a wide, happy grin on his face. Her laughter rang out over the rooftop of the brownstone, and as Archie set Theresa back on her feet, and leaned forward to kiss her, Jay quickly closed the door.

Leaning his forehead against the cool metal, the Leader closed his eyes, letting his heart ache for a brief moment. Then, he opened his eyes, and staring at the door, felt a weight lift from his shoulder's that he hadn't even known was there. "Goodbye Theresa. I'm glad you've found what you were looking for." With that, Jay turned and walked down the stairs. Walking into his bedroom, he closed the door behind him with a gentle click.

The End.

There. Not to bad, was it?


End file.
